The microcar boom arrived after World War II, and gave us hundreds of beautiful little motors. These tiny cars provided the ultimate in personal transportation — but they also have oodles of personality. Check out the most adorable microcars of the 20th century.

Davis D-2 Divan, a two-door, three-wheeler sedan with a 47 hp four-cylinder engine. (it was later changed to a 63 hp four) 13 of them were built in 1948.

The Alba Regia (left), designed by József Horváth and the Balaton (right), by József Zappel, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, 1955

Denied the right to make cars by the Soviet Union, enthusiasts and engineers in Hungary made…
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Both cars had aluminum bodies, airplane tail wheels, and 250-cc Pannonia motorbike engines. Géza Bengyel, who worked as a consultant there, was previously employed in the Csepel motorbike factory, where he had designed a unique sheet-framed bike with a torsion suspension. This layout was transferred to the Alba Regia. On the other hand, the Balaton's suspension arms were held by rubber tags. The doors of the two-plus-two Regia opened conventionally. The roof of the Balaton could be pushed backwards with a handle to get access to the cabin, just like in an airplane.

The engines were put in the rears of the cars. The idea of the gearbox was taken from the Isetta, the reverse gear from the Messerschmitt. For this, they added another flywheel to the engine. When the driver wanted to reverse, he stopped the engine, pushed a button, and the engine started turning backwards.

Goggomobil Dart, a roadster produced by the Buckel Motors Pty Ltd. in Sydney, Australia between 1959 and 1961.

A Scootacar Mk I, designed by Harry Brown, produced by Scootacars Ltd. in Leeds, England, 1959

A teardrop-like car designed by Paul Vallée, the founder of the legendary Écurie France racing team. About 200 of these streamlined miniature cars were produced with 125 and 175 cc engines.

Fesztivál (means Festival), a one-off microcar, powered by a 300cc BMW Isetta engine and gullwing doors. It was designed by Kálmán Szabadi in 1960.

Glass-reinforced plastic was not available, so Szabadi, together with his technical guru Dezső Olly, came up with a novel idea: a resin made out of pig's blood, chicken feathers and nitro shellac! It had quite a smell, but it worked.

The only surviving factory-built Isetta 300 pickup, built in England in 1961

This 295 cc, 13 hp SUV could carry up to 165 pounds, (75 kg) so it may be the only Isetta suitable for a day trip.